Teen with handgun arrested at Orange Park theater

Published: Thursday, December 27, 2012 at 7:11 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, December 27, 2012 at 7:11 p.m.

A sheriff’s deputy in Clay County stopped a young man from entering an Orange Park movie theater with a handgun on Wednesday.

Cahari Jahquan Anderson, 17, was arrested and charged with carrying a concealed firearm, a felony, and resisting without violence and trespassing, according to Clay County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Mary Justino.

“I think that in this day and age with everything that’s happened in this country, we think ‘what if,’ ” Justino said. “Anytime we have a deputy that is able to intervene and remove a gun, certainly there is a level of relief that we all have.”

Deputy C.B. Ruby, who was working an off-duty detail at the AMC Orange Park 24 at the Orange Park Mall, saw Anderson trying to enter the theater through an exit. Justino said the front of the theater is a row of doors next to each other split between in and out doors. Justino said deputies patrolling the movie theater and mall is standard procedure.

“Over the holidays and normally busy times, it’s not uncommon for a deputy to patrol daily, even two,” she said.

Ruby asked to see Anderson’s ticket stub, and Anderson showed him a receipt.

“I told the defendant he needed a movie ticket to get inside the theater,” Ruby wrote in a report, “and told him he needed to go back outside and get one if he wanted to watch a movie”

The two exchanged words, and the deputy told Anderson to leave the property or he would be arrested for trespassing.

According to Ruby’s report, Anderson told the officer he was coming back, and Ruby told him again he’d be arrested if he did. Anderson stood at the door and refused to leave, according to the report. Ruby wrote that he then grabbed Anderson to take him into custody, but Anderson tried to run away. He was taken to the ground and handcuffed.

While on the floor, Anderson told Ruby he had a gun on him, according to the report. Ruby wrote that he found a 9mm handgun in the waistband of Anderson’s shorts. There were four rounds of .380-caliber bullets in the clips of the weapon.

“While we do not know this teenager’s intentions or motives,” Justin said, “Deputy Ruby at the very least intervened to thwart a potentially dangerous situation in the making.”

Anderson was uncooperative with deputies during the whole process, Justino said, but he did not threaten anyone with the weapon or explain why he was carrying it. Anderson was transported to the Duval Detention Center, where he remains pending future court appearances, Justino said.

When Anderson was arrested, deputies found he had three active warrants for his arrest in Duval County, one for a failure to appear on a marijuana possession charge, one for violating his probation for failing to appear on a theft charge, and one for failing to appear on a trespass charge.

According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Anderson has been reported as a missing person four times in the past year.

<p>A sheriff's deputy in Clay County stopped a young man from entering an Orange Park movie theater with a handgun on Wednesday.</p><p>Cahari Jahquan Anderson, 17, was arrested and charged with carrying a concealed firearm, a felony, and resisting without violence and trespassing, according to Clay County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Mary Justino.</p><p>“I think that in this day and age with everything that's happened in this country, we think 'what if,' ” Justino said. “Anytime we have a deputy that is able to intervene and remove a gun, certainly there is a level of relief that we all have.”</p><p>Deputy C.B. Ruby, who was working an off-duty detail at the AMC Orange Park 24 at the Orange Park Mall, saw Anderson trying to enter the theater through an exit. Justino said the front of the theater is a row of doors next to each other split between in and out doors. Justino said deputies patrolling the movie theater and mall is standard procedure.</p><p>“Over the holidays and normally busy times, it's not uncommon for a deputy to patrol daily, even two,” she said. </p><p>Ruby asked to see Anderson's ticket stub, and Anderson showed him a receipt.</p><p>“I told the defendant he needed a movie ticket to get inside the theater,” Ruby wrote in a report, “and told him he needed to go back outside and get one if he wanted to watch a movie”</p><p>The two exchanged words, and the deputy told Anderson to leave the property or he would be arrested for trespassing.</p><p>According to Ruby's report, Anderson told the officer he was coming back, and Ruby told him again he'd be arrested if he did. Anderson stood at the door and refused to leave, according to the report. Ruby wrote that he then grabbed Anderson to take him into custody, but Anderson tried to run away. He was taken to the ground and handcuffed.</p><p>While on the floor, Anderson told Ruby he had a gun on him, according to the report. Ruby wrote that he found a 9mm handgun in the waistband of Anderson's shorts. There were four rounds of .380-caliber bullets in the clips of the weapon.</p><p>“While we do not know this teenager's intentions or motives,” Justin said, “Deputy Ruby at the very least intervened to thwart a potentially dangerous situation in the making.”</p><p>Anderson was uncooperative with deputies during the whole process, Justino said, but he did not threaten anyone with the weapon or explain why he was carrying it. Anderson was transported to the Duval Detention Center, where he remains pending future court appearances, Justino said.</p><p>When Anderson was arrested, deputies found he had three active warrants for his arrest in Duval County, one for a failure to appear on a marijuana possession charge, one for violating his probation for failing to appear on a theft charge, and one for failing to appear on a trespass charge.</p><p>According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Anderson has been reported as a missing person four times in the past year.</p>